William sexatjee



(No Model.)

W. SEXAUBR.

CARPET STRETGHER.

No. 362,791. PatentedlVIay 10, 1887.

N. PETERS. PhaxLmm PATENT FFICE@ VILLIAM SEXAUER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,791, dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed October-l2, 1986. Serial No. 916,065. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM SEXAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented eert-ain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretchers, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, aud exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in carpet-stretchers; and it consists of a com bined carpet stretcher, holder, knee-rest, and tackham mer, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of the combined implement, and Fig. 2 an underside plan view of a portion thereof.

A represents a knee-rest and carpet stretcher and holder, comprising a strip, frame, or block of wood or other suitable material, and of any desired shape and length, such as oblong, as represented in the drawings. This block or strip is upholstered on its upper portion, as shown at B, to form a cushioned rest for the knees of the user. At suitable intervals on the under side of this frame or knee-rest A are removably attached transverse strips of woven-wire clot-h C, or some suitable fabric, having short fine wiresD proj eeting outwardly therefrom, which grip the carpet with sufficient tenacity to hold it firmly and yet avoid the abrasion, puncturing, or tearing of the carpet, as will be presently explained.

E represents a combined tack-hammer and carpetstretching lever having` a head, F, grooved and perforated side faces, G, to facilitate the implement being grasped and iirmly held by the user,and eurved,pointed, or hooked lower end, H, to take into the Hoor, and an incurved hook or lug, I.

J represents a rod or wire connecting the upholstered carpet stretcher and holder and knee-rest A and the combined lever and hammer E, said rod or wire connecting at one end with the frame A by a hook and eye, as shown, and at its opposite end, by means of a loop, K, with the lever E.

In use the upholstered frame A is placed upon the carpet a suitable distance from the edge to be secured, with the upholstered top portion uppermost, and with the woven or outwardlyprQiecting wires D resting upon the carpet. The user then rests oneknee upon the upholstered top of the frame A with suficient pressure to cause the wire-cloth or wires on its under side to grip the carpet. The user then grasps the combined tackhammerand lever E, sticks the point Hin the floor beyond the edge of the carpet and raises the lever E upward to any suitable angle, say of about forty-tive degrees, (more or lesa) when the combined device willA assume the position represented in Fig. l of the drawings. As the lever is thus raised, it neces` sarily follows that, owing to the pointed lower end, H, thereof being inserted in the floor, said lever will, through its connecting rod or Wire J, operate as a fulcrum to draw the frame A toward it, and as the fine teeth I) on the under side of the frame A are in gripping contact with the carpet, by reason of the superposed weight of the users knee, it also follows that the carpet will be drawn forward and tightly stretched throughout the area thereof behind the frame A. The desired stretching of the carpet being thus attained, the user then rests both knees upon the upholstered top face of the frame, so as to hold it and the carpet thereunder securely in position. The combined lever and tack-hammer E is then released from the connecting-rod J by slipping said rod off the hook I, and the hammer is then brought into play to tack the carpet down. By reason of the under carpetgripping surface being coinposed ofne wires, upon the user pressing upon the frame in the manner before mentioned said wires will simply grip the carpet and will not penetrate the same to a degree to form holes therein, or so as to tear it under the forward strain exerted upon the Vframe by the operation of the lever E; but at the same time said wires will grip the carpet with sufficient tenacity to insure its being properly stretched as the lever is raised and pushed forward.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a knee-rest with an upholstered top face; that it is not new to apply card-clothing or teeth to the under face of a k nee-rest, and that it is also not new to connect to a kneerest, by means of a rod, a fulcrum-lever having pointed lower end, and such I do not broadly claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combined carpet stretcher and holder herein described, comprising a kneerest havthe lever, and at its opposite end connecting ing an upholstered top surface, a series of strips with the knee-rest by a hook and eye, as shown Io of woven-Wire cloth removably attached to the and described. under side of said knee-rest, a combined lever A WILLIAM SEXAUER. and tack-hammer, said lever having grooved Witnesses:

side faces, a curved and pointed lower end, NELSON HILL, and an incurved hook, and a rod or Wire hav- W. W. WRIGHT, ing at one end a loop to engage the hook on W. P. WELCH. 

